The Emperor and I
by Moonlight-Priestess
Summary: Li is the emperor of China, and Sakura is his concubine. It turns out to be a complicated situation when their son is kidnapped. R+R I will update asap
1. Default Chapter

Author's Notes: There is a bit of a scene that I'm a little weary to put under pg-13, but there's nothing really 

graphic. You know what you can handle, so don't blame me. I like this fic, despite the way it's dramatic in t

the beginning and then gets a little more humor in the end. I hope that doesn't spoil anything. I always have 

happy endings, I'll tell you that right now. It's cause I spent whole nights crying over sad ones. I also 

try to put my whole story up (have I mentioned that before?). Anyways, I writing these author notes at the 

same time as my aiiwf notes. This is my third story (third times the charm) and I rather like the whole idea o

f ancient China. CCS does not, and sadly will not, ever belong to be because they were created by the 

amazing minds of CLAMP (I love CLAMP! Chobits is so cool!). Enjoy the fic! -Anrui

PS. Due to my lack of reviewing, I'm considering the one chapter at a time thing… something I hoped never to resort to. Please, please review. Aren't my stories any good? Anrui means silent tears, but I didn't want to have to cry.

It only took seven days, the Christians say, for the Lord to create the world. It only took three days, likewise, for Emperor Li Syaoran to start his life...

Day 1 - Sakura

Emperor Syaoran rested his head on his fist, listening to his advisors. "The people of China are starting to get upset," a little man started, bobbing his head the whole time like a ferret, "And rightly so, for with no apparent heir, if something were to happen to you there would be warring factions fighting for the throne. The empire would be in chaos!" The man emphasized this last line by throwing his arms up into the air.

Syaoran sat up and asked calmly, "So what do you recommend I do?"

A taller, more confident man came forward, "Your greatness, if you were to take a concubine it might sooth the people of China. The emperors before you have had harems full of them. Your notable great-grandfather, who saved China from the first attack from Mongolia, had himself thirty-eight. Surely, then, it would be fully acceptable..."

Syaoran raised his hand, cutting the man off, "I understand what you are saying. If I must, then look into the matter, and I will choose the girl myself." The advisor bowed, and the other seeing this, bowed, his head still bobbing up and down. "You are dismissed." The two men left quietly.

He sighed when they were gone... the prices of being born the son of an emperor. Syaoran didn't really care for women, they were silly, little subservient things that looked composed one minute and then giggled the next. The higher born ones were really no better, whining and complaining about everything. He frowned, this was not quite what he wanted.

But his advisors were right. The people had been known to overthrow dynasties for such reasons. He rose from his chair, attendants automatically rising to his side. The Emperor had attendants for every activity that the magistrates could think of. There was one to brush his hair, one to wipe his mouth at supper, and one that simply stood their with a glass of wine all day. They occasionally had problems with that one in the evening, the girl having the responsibility of drinking stale wine in order to pour a clean glass. Syaoran had told them that he could pour his own wine, but his advisors had only stared at him shocked.

They were all women, dressed in simple outfits, slaves they had captured from Mongolia. Even they, being captives of their enemy, flirted with him whenever they got the chance. 

He walked into the gardens, ignoring the heat of the sun, and sat down. Three girls rushed over, one carrying a long fan, the other two holding a canopy over his head. "Tell my advisors that they may bring matters to me here," he said to all of them, forgetting which of them carried that responsibility. A younger one beside him rushed in excitedly, probably, Syaoran mused to himself, glad to have something to do.

She came back after a minute, breathing hard after having ran back and forth, "They told his greatness that they send you some possibilities back." Her Chinese was basic and hard to make out. He just nodded at her and watched as she fell back into place.

The first "possibility" that they sent back was a young girl of sixteen. She bowed, smiled nervously, and then starting babbling something that was too fast for Syaoran to make out. When she finished, he dismissed her with the wave of a hand. The next one couldn't stop laughing and blushing as she greeted the emperor of China. All day, such girls were sent to him, and he was starting to wonder if he'd ever find one that acted as if she had any sense.

His attendants stood in the early evening heat, panting wearily, and he ordered them to go get their replacements. They all thanked him happily, bowing, and then rushed off. Syaoran fanned himself a little, and then looked over as he heard something crash nearby. Two guards rushed in, pulling between them a beautiful girl.

She struggled desperately against her bonds, pushing her feet into the ground and taking a kick or bite at anything that came remotely near her. "Your greatness," a guard bowed to him, "We caught this girl in your stables, trying to steal a horse."

Syaoran sat up and looked at the girl, "You have been charged with stealing from the emperor, a charge punishable by death, what do you say for yourself?"

She looked up, her green eyes flashing angrily. "I will not answer a dog!" she yelled in Japanese, spitting at him. The guards pulled her harshly back for this offense.

"What is your name?" Syaoran demanded, the warning clear in his voice. She turned her head and held her tongue, still trying desperately to pull her arms free. Syaoran looked at the delicate pink outfit she was wearing and the cherry blossoms intertwined in her hair. "Fine then, if you shall not give you a name, I shall address you by Sakura," he said thinking it fitting to use the Japanese word.

Her head shot up, surprised, and she shouted at him again, "How dare you bring me here to take my name as such?" Syaoran remember that names were important to some Japanese families.

He still gazed at her, amazed at the open defiance of the bonded girl, and tried to look harsh, "You are the one that committed an offense."

Her green eyes turned hateful as she glared right into his face, an act that Syaoran had never before encountered, "Your guards killed my horse, I was only looking for compensation." She struggled with her bonds, and exhausted, finally left off. Holding her back and her neck straight, she sat on the ground as if she were herself royal.

Syaoran was intrigued by this. The girl was the only person he ever met to hold herself against the emperor with such pride. Her fierceness was only matched in her by the stunning look of her appearance. Her long, soft brown hair framed her light, cream colored skin which were both contrasted by the intensity of her bright green eyes.

What he did next showed him to be an emperor, for emperors are used to having whatever they want done without consideration for what their decisions might mean to others. Only as an empire at whole were people usually considered. "Take her to my chambers." he commanded confidently, "She is to be my new concubine."

He watched as they went. She kept her head up as she walked, knowing fighting to be useless. The replacements for the attendants walked in, taking up their jobs.

His advisors rushed in, the taller one speaking up, "Surely, you do not mean to do this."

Syaoran looked up, "Do what?"

He was speechless for a moment, but then he continued on, "There are many for you to choose such a girl. Emperors have done such things before, but in all truth, it never turned out to their advantage. Their are stories of girls who have drank poison or slit their throats because they were chosen. There must be some way you could find someone more willing..."

Syaoran held up his hand, cutting the man off, "You do not question my orders. I will have her or no one!"

The men stood there in silence, and then bowed, "As you wish."

Syaoran got up and walked to his quarters, attendants streaming behind him. "Leave me," he commanded, and they bowed quickly before rushing off. He opened the door slowly, light hitting squinting eyes. They had place her in a lightly embroidered silk gown that scantly covered any of her leg.

As he walked in, she held her composure but asked quietly, "Would you take an innocent woman without her consent?" Syaoran looked at her for a moment curiously.

He walked to the side of the bed and started untying her wrist, "I cannot let you go."

"I'm sure there are several. You could let me leave," her voice was strained now.

He lifted her to her feet holding her wrists gently, "There are no others like you. Come, dance with me." She complied, still holding herself tense. He eased her around in slow circles, hands on her back holding her to him. Syaoran felt her muscles ease as the dancing became more rhythmic.

After a while, he kissed her tenderly, and then again. Sakura allowed it as he moved down to her neck, feeling her quick pulse. He continued down until his mouth ran into the material of her gown and paused for a moment. Listening to her heavy breathing, he worked his way slowly down, lips lightly grazing the fabric.

He stopped again as he reached her lower stomach, slipping his hand under the material to rest on her hips. Then, pausing again as if in thought, he rested his head against her for a moment. She starting shivering as he finished and removed his hands. Standing, he set her back upon the bed. For a moment, what his advisor said came back to him, but was lost as she whimpered below him. He eased her legs gently apart, and then moved on top of her, kissing her eager mouth.

-----

Syaoran woke in the morning taking in the messy covers and the slumbering girl beside him. As if she could feel his eyes on her, she sat up suddenly, looking terrified. "How... how could you?" she asked, appalled, moving quickly off the bed with the sheet. Syaoran, with the second sheet wrapped around him stood up

She fought him as he took her into his arms, "Why must you fight me?"

Sakura stared at him as if he were crazy, "You ask me that after what you have done."

He couldn't help himself as he pulled her closer, "Sakura, I want all of you."

She stared at him wearily and held her head up proudly, "You may take my body, but you shall never have anything else." Sakura walked out stormily leaving him standing in the middle of the room.

Day 2 - Realizations

Her legs were helplessly tangled in the covers as they were every morning, and she lay curled around herself. Syaoran watched quietly, knowing better than to wake her. Carefully, he moved over to her and placed a tentative hand on the slight rise of her stomach. When she didn't stir, he lay his head on the area listening to nothing. It shocked him, the way that the heavens worked such things. Mystified at the way it made him feel to know inside her she carried his child. Syaoran found Sakura herself so remarkable. He'd find himself watching her as she moved about, entranced by the dignity at which she carried herself. She had a way of making him feel that she was too fit a prize for even an emperor.

Syaoran dressed himself and left the room quietly. Sakura was as good as her word. Whenever he encountered her in the morning or as they passed in the hall, she remained silent and went on with whatever she was doing without even glancing his way. It was humbling to, for the first time in his life, not be able to have what he wanted. She was his, yes, in one way, but in another, she was completely inaccessible to him.

He lingered outside the door, held there by some daunting thought. Syaoran watched as the door swung open, and she emerged prepared except for her hair, which fell messily down her back. He took her hand, "Sakura." She looked at him, her gaze cold. "Do you hate this child as you hate me?"

Her eyes softened for a moment, "How could I? It is not its fault that my body betrays me every time you touch me. There is something about somebody relying upon you for their existence that makes you want everything so... unimportant. No, I could not hate my child for either of its parent's sins." With that she had said more than she had cared to. Sakura took her gaze from him and walked quickly down the hall her footsteps quick, and Syaoran felt like a weight had been taken off him.

Something on the floor caught his eyes, and he leaned down to grab it. A pink blossom from her hair lay in his hand reminding him of the soft color of the cherry blossoms in Japan.

Day 3 - T'ien

Syaoran waited impatiently outside the room, walking up and down the halls like a tiger. There were one or two noises from the room, and then nothing again. He hit the wall in frustration. How could anyone stand to wait like this?

Something was said, and then he heard a wailing cry. Syaoran rushed to the door, but it was a minute before anyone came out. The midwife came out, holding a now silent form bundled in exquisitely embroidered silk. Syaoran held out his arms for the baby, and the lady handed it to him gently. "A fine, healthy boy," she announced proudly. Syaoran just nodded, staring at his tiny, sleeping son, fascinated. The midwife turned to leave and then on another thought turned back, "The mother has requested a name."

He looked up and waited for her to continue. "T'ien," she told him.

Gazing back down at the baby he smiled softly, "Then tell whoever needs to know that his mother's name stands." She bowed and hurried off. T'ien snuggled into his blanket a little and settled back down. Syaoran realized for a moment how much this one person meant to him. He also realized how much he loved the baby's mother.


	2. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: You all review as if my story was finished. How could it be? Sakura hasn't got with Syaoran yet! If anyone knows of any good CCS stuff like wallpapers, cursors, themes... I'm really looking for them. It's just I'm so picky 

when it comes to my brand new computer! Disclaimers apply, while I'm thinking about it. Listen guys, I have the best, I mean the BEST, sequel 

idea for this, but I've already made up my mind about my sequel policy so please, please request it for this one. I promise it will have all the CCS 

peeps in it (unlike this one), and it would be so really great! Anyways, I'd also take request for the kids S+S have together, 'cuz it's getting 

really tiring. Though my two humor fics I've got planned won't have any. I think it's easier that way. I'm also up for a challenge, so somebody 

suggest a challenging crossover with CCS. I will not do any show I don't watch though. It makes it harder to get the characters right. Hope 

you enjoy! -Anrui

Sakura walked onto the veranda looking stately with her attendants holding up the long train attached to her headdress. In the gardens before her, Syaoran played with the four-year old T'ien. The little boy looked over, saw her, and started waving happily.

She smiled at him, and he went back to his play. Syaoran too looked up for a moment with a tender expression. They both knew that this was the only time she spent with him outside the bedroom. Sakura walked closer, still holding herself upright, and then, upon reaching her son, lifted him up. T'ien smiled happily and hugged her around the neck. His father stood up respectfully, and they started down the garden paths.

"You look lovely," he told her truthfully.

"Thank you," she answered politely after regarding him for a moment.

"Mommy, mommy, tell daddy the story!" T'ien shouted gleefully. Syaoran watched Sakura curiously.

"It's really nothing," she assured him. He didn't question her further.

T'ien pouted, his emerald eyes sparkling with discontent, "Why don't we ever play together?"

Sakura stroked his soft brown hair, but didn't answer. Despite his coloring, the boy looked a lot like his father, a fact it was hard for her to forget. T'ien, not having his question answered, looked at his father. Syaoran didn't know what to say.

"We need to talk," Sakura whispered to him sadly. For four years they had both ignored the fact that someday their child would be old enough to understand the situation. Not quite yet, but they both knew it couldn't be too much longer.

Syaoran nodded, lost in thought. Their relationship had changed, at least, from what it had been. She no longer cast cold glances at him. He'd walk alongside her sometimes, and she wouldn't say anything. They had a companionable silence sometimes. Syaoran heard Sakura sigh.

T'ien, having a child's attention span, had fixed his attention on a nearby butterfly. He pointed at it, "Look, it's pretty!"

Sakura sat him down gently on the ground, "Why don't you go play in the flowers for awhile?" The little boy looked at her, knowing his mother enough to know what she wanted. He nodded and ran off after the butterfly.

"You know how I feel about you," Syaoran whispered desperately.

Sakura turned on him, "You always act like I'm so guilty! I never asked for this position, it was you who chose me. You've offered my freedom to me, but there's no way I could leave my son!"

His eyes were sad, "Can't you ever forgive me? I didn't understand what I would do to you when I made that decision five years ago. I'd give it all back to you if I could, but I can't. I feel just as trapped as you do. I love you, and you've used against me. What of that, Sakura?"

"You don't have to look at your son, knowing that someday you'll have to tell him his mother was no more than his father's harlot! I can't forgive you! I just can't forgive you..." her voice trailed off.

They stopped as a guard ran towards them, "Sire, they took the child... we tried to cut them off..."

Syaoran stopped him, "Who took the child?"

The guard looked at him apologetically, "We don't know. It was hard to see."

"I want all of the palace guards after them, and no one is to leave or go until I give word. Understood?"

The guard nodded and bowed. As soon as he was gone, Sakura fell to her knees crying. Syaoran went down and held her. "This is... this is all my fault. I should have... I should have told him to stay close."

In all the time he had known her, her eyes had never once shed a tear, but now it seemed as if they were filled with a thousand. "Sakura," Syaoran promised her, "I will not rest until we find him again."

She looked up at him, wiping her eyes like a little girl, "I can't lose him, Syaoran. He's all that I have."

"I told myself," Syaoran whispered to himself, "That I would never let anything happen to either of you." Sakura clung to him, sobbing heavily onto his shirt.

He got up, pulling her after him, and hugged her tightly. "Syaoran, if we get our son back... I want him to be happy. I don't think he can be when we're like this. I... I want to give you a chance, but it's hard... it's so hard..."

Syaoran kissed her, partly because he couldn't stand to think and partly because he felt guilty for all that he had inflicted upon her.

-----

T'ien looked up at his captors through teary eyes, "I want my mommy!"

"Why do you want her?" the man asked roughly, "From what I've heard she's not much more than a cold..." T'ien cut him off with another yell. The man covered his mouth, "Keep quiet, kid, and I'll shut up about your mother." T'ien quieted down significantly. The trees around them were covered with snow being close to the mountains near the north.

"Why can't I see mommy or daddy?" T'ien demanded, struggling to get out of the guy's grip.

"Because we need to use you for a bit..." a nasty thought came to him, "You better be good though or I'll throw you to the great snow monster." T'ien looked at him frightened and ceased to move. The man chuckled, glad for the respite.

A woman came out of the trees to join him, "Are you scaring the little kid again?" Her voice was whiny and scratchy, though she was slightly attracted. She leaned down to T'ien, "And how are you, sweety?" He stuck out his tongue at her, and she snorted. "I knew their was a reason I never had a brat."

They plowed on through the snow, "You know I wouldn't be too thrilled, either." She was, of course, referring to Sakura. "I mean, what woman would want to be forced to pay for her crimes like that?" The man rolled his eyes, knowing what was coming next. "That's what's wrong with China today. We females are treated so unfairly. Don't we have rights? What makes men so great besides their..."

The man covered her mouth, glad for any reason to stop her, "You don't want the kid to hear such things from that filthy mouth of yours."

She stuck her nose in the air, "You're the one with morning breath." The woman looked at him seriously, "What does Akuma really want with the Emperor's brat?"

"Everyone's heard the stories of how much the Emperor loves his kid. Akuma just chose to believe him... you know, an empire for a kid."

The lady looked at T'ien dubiously, "These things are worth that much?"

The man held T'ien, who was scowling, up, "This one is."

T'ien screamed, uncomfortable in the intense cold, "I want to go home!"

"The quicker we get where we're going," the man said harshly, "The quicker you can get home."

-----

Syaoran stood in a room with his advisors and the head of his guards. The magistrates were also seated around a along table. "We have combed the area," the captain of the guards began, "But we have found no sign of the boy."

"This is the heir of China we're talking about, not some animal we're hunting!" one of the advisors shouted, "Surely there are other avenues that you can follow."

"I'm sorry," the captain began, "But there are no tracks, and no one has seen them. For all reasonable purposes, there is nothing more the guards can do."

Syaoran held up his hand to speak, "We'll continue to question people around the area. Meanwhile, I am going to go out myself to see if I can find this person."

A messenger opened the door, running in, "A letter has arrived for the Emperor!"

Syaoran grabbed it and read over the words quickly, his expression hardening, "Prepare my things. I'm going after my son."

"I'm going also," a voice echoed from the door resolutely. Sakura stood there, her composure tightly locked into place. Syaoran hesitated for a moment. "He's my son, too," she told him, and he knew there was no changing her mind.

Syaoran nodded to a servant, "Prepare her things... we shall head out tomorrow." The rest of the assembly was dismissed, and the emperor stood alone with his concubine. "I don't want you going."

"You can't stop me," her voice sent a shiver down his spine. The Sakura who had shown herself in the garden was gone again.

He walked over to her, touching her hair for an instant, "Sakura..."

She closed her eyes, "I told you that this wouldn't be easy for me. I've spent many years keeping to myself."

"I know, and I love you for it." Sakura gazed at him confused. "You have a dignity to you when you're like that. It befits an emperor."

She took his hand and held it to her cheek, "Why did you choose me? You had your choice of all of China."

Syaoran kissed her softly, "I've known that it could only be you from the moment I saw you... and it's not often that an emperor meets his other half."

"Do you mean that?" she whispered.

"Have you never felt it?"

"I have. It's part of why I could hate you for so long... I hated myself for it. Is that what this is then? Fate and soul mates and all that?"

He took her into his arms as she sobbed, "No... fate had nothing to do with it. I would have found you wherever fate had placed us. Though, I can't help but think that you're part of me. How else could you bewitch me like you do?"

Sakura shivered, "You speak as if you know me enough to love me."

"I don't need to know anything... I love you."

"I can't do this... not now," she leaned on him, "I just want to see my son again."

-----

Akuma sat in the dark, pondering his plot to take over China. He just needed the boy now. Of course, he had sent those two idiots. Mara and her husband Kentaro occasionally got something accomplished, but this was a high risk mission. They had been the only people for hire not associated with his faction. They were harder to trace back to him for that reason.

A black cat jumped up and curled on Akuma's lap. He stroked the soft black fur letting the pats get rougher until the cat let out a screech and clawed him before running off. Akuma laughed, amused. He lifted the pipe to his lips and let out a curl of smoke. It traced a curved path to the ceiling and then winked out of existence. Soon, he thought with a hint of evil laughter, I shall be emperor of China!

The door to his dark, charred looking fortress opened suddenly, bringing with it a flurry of snow. Two figures, three counting the smaller one in the man's arms, emerged looking pale with cold. "Mara... Kentaro... how nice to see you," his voice was slippery and ran together with a perceived elegance.

Mara held out her hand, "Pay us, take the kid, and then we'll go."

Two men came out and grabbed the couple holding their hands behind their back. Akuma laughed hysterically, "Did you think I'd actually pay you? What a pity... you're both such fools!"

Kentaro growled fiercely, "You shall not get away with this!"

"I'm afraid I already have," he said taking T'ien by the hand as the guard brought him over, "but thanks for the help."

The last thing they saw was darkness as they were hit over the head.


	3. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: I know that it's a little extreme the way Sakura goes from acting one way to another, but remember she is confused right now. 

Despite how it ends up sounding, they are both concerned about their son the WHOLE time. I also want to apologize for the formatting. I lost my ability to make .doc when I got my new computer, so I'm stuck with .html. Kentaro is a name I stole from Love Hina, so 

credits apply there. Mara was also stolen from OMG, so credits there too. They are not those people though. CCS belongs to CLAMP, and 

there's no way for me to argue. Always review and tell me what you think! Do try, when Black Rose gets up her fics, to separate us. I am only 

one half of Moonlight Priestess. As always, hope you enjoy! -Anrui

The wind had risen and Sakura tried to use her arms to shield her face from it. Snow littered the air making it hard to see. "Syaoran!" she cried getting snow in her mouth.

A hand grabbed hers, and she heard a voice shout, "We need to take shelter. There's supposed to be a cave near here." They wandered through the snow drifts and finally reached a solid wall. Syaoran followed it until they stumbled into an opening.

The cave was large and in the distance they could occasionally hear water dropping. Sakura shivered, her clothing soaked with the melting snow. Syaoran moved towards her and took off the outer layers. "We need to get you out of these," he said, concentrating undoing the wet buttons.

She laid a hand on his chest, "Aren't you cold?" He shook his head, trying to stop his shaking. She took off the outer layer of his clothes, wondering if any of them were dry. They undressed each other together, hands and arms tangling.

Finally, he took her hands and placed them away from him. She opened her mouth as if to ask what, and he blushed. His breathing was heavy, "I think I should finish from here."

Sakura looked at him and bit her lip. Finally, she got down to the last layer of her clothing which was the only part of her clothing that was completely dry. She put her hair up like she did every night, and stood turning to him. He stopped with the shirt he was messing with and looked up at her. "I am ready if the emperor is willing" Sakura said, for the first time giving her consent. Syaoran got up and met her ready mouth, sharing what little warmth they had left.

-----

T'ien sat in the little room staring at nothing. Little light found him, the only window being the one high up on the ceiling. He sucked on his thumb, a habit he knew his mother would have scolded him for, and lay down on the small, hard mattress.

The little emperor, as the pretty ladies that waited on him had dubbed him, imagined that he was home with his mommy and daddy. When he pictured them, they were together and speaking. They didn't usually speak to each other, but he found comfort in his imaginings.

His mind moved on to the Japanese folktale his mother had told him of the beautiful Princess Kaguya, who had come to an old couple from the moon. She could not be seen, and he pretended that he was in the small room so that he could not be seen.

The evil man who had brought him here rested in the boy's thoughts. He had smelled bad, T'ien remembered wrinkling his nose. T'ien got up from the bed and pounded on the door, "I want to go home!" Silence rewarded him from the other side, and the young prince sat down teary eyed.

Finally, he heard footsteps sound outside. His heart fell though as the evil man opened the door and peered into the room. "Do you know your father would trade anything for you?" he asked T'ien.

T'ien nodded, his daddy told him that all the time. "He loves me," he told the man pointedly.

The man snickered, "I suppose he does love you, and probably your dear mommy, too... though I've heard she hates him somewhat fiercely."

T'ien's eyes flared, "She does not!"

"So confident, are we? Tell me then, does your mommy ever smile at your daddy?"

His voice was quiet, "No."

"Has she ever said she loves him?"

"No."

He rested his fingertips on the boy's head, "Then why are you so convinced?" T'ien sat down as he could come up with no answer. Akuma laughed and left the little boy to follow that thought line.

-----

Mara hands were balled into fists at her side, "How dare he do this to us!"

Kentaro was studying the lock intently, "Evil is as evil does... I suppose." She twisted some of the loose string from her sleeve lost in some obscure contemplation.

"If I ever get out of here, I'm going to get back at that son of a..."

Kentaro cut her off, "You really do need to control your language."

"I actually feel sorry for the little brat being stuck in here..." she looked at the door, "It's really no place for a kid."

Kentaro put comforting arms around her, "The emperor won't let him stay here for long."

She sighed, "I guess you're right." A rat peeped out from a hole in the wall, and Mara screamed. "Get that dirty thing away from me!" It had already run form the commotion and was back in its hole.

Outside a guard laughed at her plight. He stopped as she slammed her fist into the door. "You try facing a disease ridden rodent!" she screamed at his retreating back.

Kentaro was messing with some wire on the floor. "Aha!" he exclaimed, holding up his creation.

"What is it?" Mara asked quietly.

"A lock pick."

She laughed, "You expect to tell me that is a lock pick? Seriously, Kentaro..."

"Well I can't show you yet because it's a bad time to escape!" He was looking really annoyed.

"Fine, fine. It's a lock pick. Whatever. I just want to get out of here, and I don't care if it's a little piece of wire or the emperor himself."

-----

Syaoran woke to intense cold and a wall of white. He got up, turned around, and was relieved to see the cave on the other side of him. Sakura was already awake and sat watching him. "The clothes are not wearable," she told him pointing to the clothes that had been wet last night. Tiny ice crystals had formed on the top of them. "And," she continued on, "You dropped the rest of your stuff out there." Sakura pointed to the white wall of snow.

"Then what am I supposed to do?" he asked, wondering why she sounded so amused with the situation.

Sakura lay back down and stared at the ceiling, "Oh, I don't know..." Syaoran wished she would just get it over with.

"What?" She lay still stubbornly, and he sat down beside her. "Come on, Sakura. This is a serious matter."

"And I'm thinking about it seriously." Syaoran had to give it to her... she was a great actress. "Calm down, we're going to be stuck here for awhile."

He laid down beside her, "Do you ever realize how beautiful you are?"

Sakura blushed slightly, "I'm not that great, and... flattery will get you nowhere."

"Then why are you so moved by it?"

"I'm not... it's just strange..." she continued staring at the ceiling. "I know you've said you love me, but it always felt so... automatic. After you spend so long with a person, you always become at least somewhat attached... It's different when you say something like that. In the time that I've known you, you rarely do, and it's touching when you say it as if it were a reverie."

"Have you ever let anyone close to you?" Syaoran asked, propping himself up on his arm.

Sakura squinted, "I don't really remember much of before..." She shook her head, "I don't really want to talk about it."

"Sakura?" he asked sitting up to look at her.

"Yes?"

"What are we going to do about my attire?"

She laughed, "You're going to have to wear my robes!" He groaned.

-----

Akuma strolled along his hall, chuckling to himself. People were so easily manipulated. He wondered how easily he could have just built an army for a rebellion, but rebellions were so messy.

He would have liked to meet two such people as the emperor and his concubine. Not many women had the will power to keep their sanity under such conditions. His own great-aunt had been taken by an emperor, only to plunge herself from a ledge. She must have quite a presence to her... Anyways, the royalty always had managed to push their children past the point where they could accurately comprehend normal people. That was his advantage, he had not been raised by the pleasures of whatever he desired.

Akuma's life had definitely not been easily. His mother had not known his father's name and was very poor herself. He had worked since childhood just to pay for the things that his mother wanted... as if it were his fault she had been so easily seduced.

The palace loomed in his mind, full of the luxuries that were rightful his. He deserved them! They were fated to be his by his early demises...

He heard the brat yelling again from the little room down the hall. Next time he made any noise, Akuma swore he'd choke him. Covering his ears, he made his way quickly from the hall and went into his bedroom. Laying down in the silence, his head throbbing he decided that there was no harm in a nap.

When will the palace reply to my letter, he wondered drowsily, I expected to have it all over with by now...

-----

Sakura and Syaoran made their way out of the cave when the sunlight was strong enough. "You look good in that," she complimented lightly. He turned red and tried to cover himself better with the little blanket they had packed.

"My mother did want a little girl," he frowned as he told it, unconscious pulling the blanket tighter.

"Did you... want a little girl?" she asked it quietly.

"I was too shocked the whole time to really think about it. It's hard to adjust to being a father, and thinking about you made the whole situation overwhelming. Still, when I held him for the first time... I don't think I could have been happier..." he stopped for a minute, "Though it would be nice to have a little girl." He touched her face softly, "One that looks just like you."

"You don't have to be so nice. You are the emperor, and I'm... I'm just another woman, despite what you say," she sighed, "And I've seen women that are prettier. And ones that are nicer. No one really thinks of me that way... I thought that you just wanted me because you couldn't have me before. It makes it so hard when you keep saying all of this like you really mean it." Sakura wiped the tears from her eyes.

Syaoran kissed her and then looked at her intensely, "How can you say that?" He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I wanted you from the moment I saw you."

"The last thing I heard about my parents was the man on the boat to China. They had sent me away, and it hurt."

He hugged her, "They were crazy if they purposely let you go." Sakura hugged him back and then started walking.

They continued on, and Syaoran pointed at something in the distance, "Look, there it is!"

The fortress stood in front of them like a small, burned mountain. The sunlight gleamed off it, making it look all the more unnatural. Sakura shivered, "I can't bear to think of our son in there." She followed him as they wandered around the building.

"There should be a door somewhere..." he touched the wall, and it crumbled away. Syaoran looked wonderingly at Sakura.

Sakura shrugged, "It must be poor structuring." Inside the opening stood a dark hallway full of door with huge locks on them. "This must be the dungeon," she assumed meekly. Their steps echoed eerily, and they both froze as they heard a voice.

"Hey, hey. Over here," a woman beckoned from behind a door. "Let us out. We'll help you with your son."

Syaoran looked at her suspiciously, "How do you know what we're after?"

She sighed, "Okay, I took the kid. Sorry... but I really do want to make up for it. Not to mention get even..."

Kentaro came to the bars, "I couldn't unlock the door."

They regarded the couple for a second. "They are in his dungeon," she pointed out.

Syaoran nodded, "They look too shallow to sit in a cell to simply trap us."

Mara grabbed the bars, "What's that supposed to mean!"

"You did kidnap our son!"

"You should've watched the kid more!" she shouted back.

"Yeah," Kentaro added, "We hardly ever pull any of our schemes off..." Mara hit him on the head.

Syaoran took out his sword while they were arguing, and Mara yelped as the lock was hacked off the door. "Now you're going to help us free our son!"

"Of course," Mara replied easily, "...this is revenge."


	4. Chapter 3

Author's Notes: Do you ever get tired of reading these notes? I can't help it, fics just aren't balanced without them. Anyways, I know that there are 

some things in this chapter that don't fit in ancient China, but I poked fun at myself just a little about it twice in this chapter. Want to know more 

about Sakura's past? Then request a sequel... that's going to be a big part of it. Also I really, really want to write it. I'm running out of time, so 

think disclaimer and then enjoy the story! -Anrui

The guard stood against the wall eating the dinner that his wife had packed. Akuma never really checked on them outside of their shift change, so the guards usually took time out for such things.

A clang sounded from down below, but he ignored it. "That Mara's a real trouble maker," he muttered under his breath. He started to continue on with his meal and stopped as he heard a nearby door swing open. "Who's there?" he commanded in his deep voice. Someone took him from behind and held a sword to his throat.

"You don't say anything," Syaoran told him, "Or I'll cut your throat." The guard stood completely still. "Good," Syaoran continued, "Now you can lead us to where he is keeping my son." The guard pointed a finger, and the five of them started down the hall in that direction.

"Emperor... did you know that you're wearing women's clothing?" Kentaro asked studying the outfit. Mara and Sakura both stifled giggles.

Syaoran turned red, "It's a long story." All of them froze as they heard footsteps approaching from down the hall. It was another guard, one who had apparently been drinking quite a bit. He passed on by, swerving from wall to wall.

"Some security this place has," Mara snorted, "A better trespasser could clear the place out."

Kentaro frowned, "How much longer is this going to take?"

"Why?" the three of them asked, turning.

He blushed, "I kind of have to use the bathroom."

"Third room on the right," Mara told him, pointing to the door. They all turned to her. "What? Can't a lady no the location of bathrooms? Mom called it a gift." Kentaro went off in that direction and the others started down the flight of stairs. When they reached the bottom the guard made a noise and pointed to a room.

Syaoran opened the door and peeked in. Akuma lay nicely tucked in his bed, slumbering. He shut the door and pressed the sword closer to the guard's neck, "One more move like that, and we'll be forced to look on our own." The guard gulped and then led them up the stairs again.

Kentaro emerged from the bathroom, wondering about the mechanics of a second-floor bathroom, or the second floor at that. It felt as if he were time traveling, "He must be very smart."

"Why do you say that?" Mara asked.

"Not even the emperor has a second floor or such a complex draining system."

"I'm sure he's ahead of his time," Syaoran said dryly.

"Or it could be witchcraft!" Mara exclaimed. They all ignored her suggestion. "What?"

"Shh! We're supposed to be silent," Sakura pointed out. The guard made another squeaky noise and pointed at another room. They opened the door to find little T'ien sitting on the bed quietly. Sakura ran over and hugged him, tears in her eyes, "I missed you so much."

T'ien held himself stiffly, and she looked at him. He pulled away. "What's wrong?" she asked sadly.

"You don't love daddy!" the little boy accused.

Sakura bent down to face him, "And who told you this?"

He lowered his head, "The evil man."

Sakura lifted his chin with her hand, "T'ien, I do love your daddy... very, very much, okay?"

T'ien threw his arms around her neck and sobbed into her shoulder, "I love you, mommy."

"I love you, too," she whispered in his hair, hugging him tightly.

"This is sweet and all..." Mara interrupted, looking over her shoulder, "But it's not exactly the best place for it."

Kentaro was sniffing, "... just like in the plays..." She whacked him on the head and then started making her way back to the dungeon. The rest of them followed, wanting to get out just as badly.

The opening still lay at the end of the tunnel, light spilling out from the other side. Snow still lay like a clean, white blanket over the landscape. T'ien stuck his thumb in his mouth, "I don't want to go out there. He said there were snow monsters."

Sakura shot Kentaro a dirty look before pulling her son's finger out of his mouth, "There are no such things out here, and how many times do I have to tell you not to do that." T'ien pouted, but looked significantly more at ease.

Kentaro rubbed his neck, "It was just a story." Mara patted him sympathetically and then slapped the back of his head.

"You're both so violent," Sakura told them, "What kind of example are you setting for my child?"

"Yeah," Kentaro jabbed at Mara.

"I didn't ask you," Sakura snapped. Kentaro put his head down, wearing the same expression as T'ien.

Mara glanced around, bored with her husband's present situation. Syaoran was lost in thought, so Mara stuck out a foot and tripped him.

Syaoran glared at her, "Do you know I could count that as high treason?"

"What were you thinking about so hard anyway?" Mara asked with mock innocence. He turned his head away and didn't say anything else.

The five of them marched on for awhile in relative silence. Sakura sat down after a moment, T'ien resting sleepily in her arms, "I can't go any further. The rest of them sat down, tired themselves.

"You know," Kentaro said offhandedly, "I thought that you two'd fight a lot, like in the rumors that everyone's been telling."

"Yeah, and I thought that you'd," Mara pointed to Sakura, "be a real..." The last word got cut off as Kentaro stuck a hand over her mouth.

Sakura looked weary, "It's a long story."

"You never said you loved me," Syaoran commented.

"What was I supposed to say? That I hate the way you treated me, but that's okay now because I love you? Just because I love you doesn't make everything automatically okay..." Sakura stopped as she watched his face fall. "But..." she added, "It is a start."

"That's all I've ever asked for..."

Mara gagged, "Is that all you people ever do? I can't say it's healthy... there's way too much emotion for that. Wouldn't it be better to just say that everything without storing it up and making it all emotional? I mean, if you'd have just made the right decision in the first place Syaoran, or if you had just accepted the way your life was Sakura, then it all would have turned out okay... you could've paid more attention to your kid... and then you wouldn't be in this mess."

"But that's not the way it works," Kentaro whined, "Where's the romance in that?"

"Romance is for sissies," Mara snorted.

"I rather like it..." Kentaro retorted. Sakura and Syaoran sighed as they started fighting.

Suddenly, an evil laughter sounded through the trees. "Usually when you're running, you try not to make too much noise," Akuma said silkily, appearing from their right. "Pity you're not that smart."

Syaoran stood up, sword in hand, but Sakura put a hand on his arm, "No... let me do this."

He gave her a pleading look, but she held firm. Syaoran handed her the sword, "All right, but be careful."

Sakura advanced on Akuma, who now had his own weapon handy. Taking the first swing, she ducked as he tried a high counter-attack. "Is that the best you can do?" he jeered.

She spat on him, "No, I just needed somewhere to start." His eyes narrowed as he wiped his cheek. They started sparing again, meeting each other attack for attack.

"Who taught you to fight so well?" he asked, panting while he blocked her.

"That's none of your concern!"

"I just wanted to know who's pupil I was going to kill..." with that he lunged at her with all the strength he had left. She side-stepped and put her sword down just in time for it to slice into him. He gasped, dropping down and holding his side.

Sakura looked slightly appalled, but she walked over to him anyway. "Never," she told him angrily, "mess with me." Sakura lifted the sword and brought it down upon the back of his neck. He fell the rest of the way to the ground, staining the snow a crimson red. Mara, Kentaro, and Syaoran stared at her in shock, the latter covering his son's eyes.

"What? Did you think I couldn't do it?" she asked, wiping her hands.

T'ien tried to move the hand over his eyes, "What did mommy do?"

"Your mommy just killed that evil..." Kentaro put his hand over her mouth, and she stopped.

"Sometimes," Sakura stated calmly, "Soft just doesn't work." She started walking and then looked back at them, "Well... are you coming?" They all shook their heads sheepishly and then started out after her. "By the way, Syaoran," she said sweetly, "We're going to have another baby."

"And you didn't think to mention this before I let you fight?" Syaoran asked, trying to sound angry, but it didn't work. He sighed and then smiled, "It would be nice to have another child..."

"You mean you like the things?" Mara asked, "I think they're incredibly annoying."

Kentaro wiped a tear from his eye, "This is so sweet. I never really did believe those stories."

"But they were actually pretty true," Sakura pointed out to him.

Mara put a hand on her hip, "You mean to say that you were actually a circus performer that the emperor captured from Mongolia?"

Sakura gave her a strange look, "I haven't heard that one."

T'ien looked questioningly at his parents, "What's a con... concubine? I heard the evil man say it in the hall."

"Kid," Mara told him, kneeling down, "Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?"


	5. Epilogue

Author's Notes: I am so pleased with how this fic is done, but alas we have reached the end. I wantd to post it a little later, but I really don't know when I'll be able to next. This is the feared 

Epilogue. I am however going to do the sequel, which will reveal Sakura's past and kind of continue on 

the note I left this one with in this chap… epilogue. Look for it soon, but don't hold your breath. I've gone 

from having loads of free time to none at all! I appreciate all you guys for your support. As always read and 

review!

Love you all lots for reading my fics! -Anrui (PS disclaimer goes here, copy and paste your favorite in if ya want) (PSS I take constructive 

critizism, just don't take it too far, please)

The emperor and empress of China stood before the crowd looking stately and dignified. Their five-year old son, the heir to all of China, stood twitching from the excitement of the crowd and his own restlessness. In the empress's arms lay a small baby girl, who slept fitfully but remained more silent than her brother on the ground.

A careless observer would think the two to be cold and distant, but it you watched closely you could tell otherwise. You would see the way her hand silently found its way to his and their fingers intertwined for a moment. Or, as he spoke to the crowd, how sometimes they'd quickly glance over with a small smile.

T'ien would wave to the people sometimes, as if for a moment it cured his boredness. His mood would swing tirelessly from happy to bored to restless and then start the cycle all over again. Often, his mother would lay a hand on his head, and he'd settle down for a bit and then continue on like before.

Syaoran's voice had an easy confidence to it as he talked to the multitude. If for that reason, and no other, the people loved to see him come to speak as if it reassured them. He'd talk about different affairs and talk about various things that would require work to get done.

His wife stood silently at his side, haven been given by her husband equal power, but knowing there were some that wouldn't appreciate a demonstration of it. She did not really want the power as much as some would guess. A visitor to the palace would find her most often in the garden with her children, waiting for the emperor to finish with all the royal matters that needed attended to.

There were always at least ten people who marveled at how picturesque the royal family looked together. The stories of what had happened allowed them to imagine all different kinds of lives for them. Very few actually guessed the full truth of the matter. Mara, one of the palace's guards, would have told you that the two were crazy but would also admit grudgingly that they did seem to have loved each other for quite a long time. Kentaro, who worked on different engineering problems for the palace, would say that they were obviously fated or something like that. Their story's like a fairy tale, he would continue, it's sweet but never works out until the end.

But this is all irrelevant, seeing as it was all far from their minds. "As the Japanese move closer to our borders, we must prepare to fight them with any means necessary," Syaoran continued on from what he had been saying. "The empress and I both agree that war should be avoided, but we are both fully aware that the people of China are our main priority."

"Further more, you must prepare yourselves for that war, should it be necessary." He finished. Both Sakura and Syaoran knew that at this rate, war was almost inevitable...

That, though is another story, and this one has reached it's end.


End file.
